The Spaniard Show

Get ready for some nostalgia! This week's episode kicks off Ralph Macchio's story of becoming The Karate Kid. This is some awesome reading, folks. Enjoy this intro episode! ... Get this book here: Waxing On To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more about Spaniard School online membership: Spaniard School Purchase all your books here: Spaniard Show Reading List Get my two b...

Thanks to Dread, today's episode is filled with some incredible stats and insight about the last six years of our podcasting. On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm feeling extremely blessed and grateful for everything this show has brought me - the people, the knowledge, the experiences, the fulfillment. It's been an awesome ride, and I hope you enjoy today's reflection and behind-the-scenes perspective o...

This week's book recap picks up where last week's left off. As we continue to learn about embracing and adapting to change, we look to the past and future. You'll learn about the origin and reason for nostalgia, where you might find opportunity and why the Ford Mustang and Bronco came into existence. Oh, and there's much more! ... Get this book here: Build for Tomorrow To inquire about assemblies...

The MMA world recently lost one of its greats, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. Rumble struck fear into everyone he fought, but he was as kind as could be outside the cage. I've had a lot of people reach out to me since his passing, so I thought I'd tell some stories about our fight and relationship and send prayers to his friends and family. ... Link to our previous interview: Rumble and Spaniard   To i...

Change is inevitble. How we handle change is up to us. This week's book is a great resource for handling that change and landing in a spot that is better, or at least equal to, our original situation.  ... Get this book here: Build for Tomorrow To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more about Spaniard School online membership: Spaniard School Purchase all your books here: S...

Are elite athletes, particularly accomplished wrestlers, prone to experiencing stroke? Researching that question energizes Dr. Christen Kutz partly because it applies to her husband Jason, as well as his longtime friend The Spaniard. Dr. K might soon present the findings thus far to the American Academy of Neurology. In this episode she touches on the possible role of concussions, among many other...

In a search for business mentors, Square founder Jim McKelvey looked to the past, seeking insights from three companies you are sure to have heard of. In this episode, we touch on those three companies and leave you with some business thoughts that are perfectly applicable to your life. ... Get this book here: The Innovation Stack To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more...

Here's great stuff NOT in the book! Oops, first this background: You'll recall pro wrestler, podcaster and author Mike Kinney (aka Cowboy Gator Magraw) from Talks episodes 136 and 399, as well as from Books #1486, when Spanny praised Mike's book "A Pro Wrestler's Guide to Confidence," based on his popular TED Talk. But here are new, fascinating stories of Mike's boyhood pro wrestling dreams and hi...

I can remember the first time I heard of Square, and I can remember receiving that little white square phone attachment. How was this free? I can just swipe someone's credit card and sell a shirt? It seemed too easy to be true, revolutionary.  Author/founder Jim McKelvey (and eventual Twitter founder Jack Dorsey) set out to "square up" the credit card industry, and this is how they did it. ... Get...

It took some doing, but Spanny landed an interview with the author of a book that he recently discussed: "The Rugged Life." Clint Emerson is well-versed on the topic. You'll hear him discuss how he grew up in a tense environment as a Texas native raised in repressive Saudi Arabia … which led to a career as a Navy SEAL … and then to his current occupations as a crisis management consultant and auth...

We know upstream thinking is beneficial, but we have a tendency to favor downstream efforts. We focus on fixing problems rather than preventing them. Why? The answer to that, and much more on today's episode. ... Get this book here: Upstream To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more about Spaniard School online membership: Spaniard School Purchase all your books here: Span...

Feedback is one of those things that can help and also hurt. If you're going to ask for it, you better be ready to receive it. And if you don't ask for it, there's a good chance it's coming your way. Inspired by a recent addition to my feedback system, today's episode discusses my history and approach to processing feedback. ... To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more ab...

Preventing problems before they happen. Thinking in systems rather than individual actions. Just two of the ideas presented in this week's episode as we begin to disucuss the idea of "upsteam thinking."  ... Get this book here: Upstream To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more about Spaniard School online membership: Spaniard School Purchase all your books here: Spaniard...

It's been a very busy three weeks speaking, and with that comes some new observations and highlights. At the top of this current high point, I realize more than ever that the only things I can guarantee are my effort and product - my effort in growing and promoting my business and the product I offer. If I stop, it stops. I hope you enjoy this latest episode of forging my path forward. ... To inqu...

This week's Books episode is not about a book. It's about my practice of reading and how this part of the show came to be. It's also about recent progress in business that has left less time to read and created new situations that I've got to work through. With Dread's sage advice, we're moving forward one Books at a time (thought not necessarily a new book each week). ... To inquire about assembl...

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the Little League World Series, from the manager of a team who made it to late rounds this summer. And the team was from the Spaniard's hometown of Hollidaysburg! The whole county and beyond was glued to their progress. Spanny goes way back with Jim McGough, who shares how years of decisions and thoughtful practices led a special group of players to an inspiring...

Middle grade books are some of the best. And this week's edition fits that bill. Squint is about a boy who's dealing with an eye disease, loves comics, is dealing with various middle school obstacles, lives with his grandparents and just wants to be accepted as his comic-drawing-self. It's chock full of lessons for both students and grown-ups.. ... Get this book here: Squint To inquire about assem...

Inspired by my recent trip to Charlotte Wood Middle School in CA, today's episode touches on some specifics of speaking, some takeaways of my trip to CA and the importance of consistent and steady work and effort. ... To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn more about Spaniard School online membership: Spaniard School Purchase all your books here: Spaniard Show Reading List G...

This one goes way back for me. John Lee Dumas was one of the first people I started listening to post-fighting. His podcast "Entrepreneurs on Fire" kept me company on many commutes back and forth to training, hours and hours on end. His daily podcast of interviewing entrepreneurs set itself apart in the podcasting world, and he has made a tremendous life from it. In his book, he outlines a plan yo...

If you someday come across The Spaniard providing color commentary on combat sports, this episode is one of the places that will trace from. That's because he receives encouragement from experienced analyst and color commentator Kenny Florian—roles that Kenny entered after competing at a high level in the UFC from 2003 to 2011. In particular, the guys compare notes on training and transitioning be...

Friend and former guest of the show ( #136 - 11/7/17 ), Cowboy Gator Magraw has written a book about his life and love of professional wrestling. He lays it out in a fun and easy read that starts with his 2nd grade dreams of becoming a professional wrestler and culminates with a stint on WWE/RAW. Mike is up front and honest about the business, self-doubt, developing confidence, working like a pro...

What if you could fly right now to Ukraine? Or Iraq? If the thoughts make you pale, take a breath and listen to Rollie Peterkin, a great friend of Spanny and of this show (this is his fourth episode!). Rollie is recording from Ukraine's capital Kyiv, and he supplies first-person nuances missing from the news. He does the same in praising the hospitality in Iraq … while noting that the overseas per...

A follow up to The Greatest Salesman in the World, this week's book adds another ten life principles to success. Following the life story of camel boy-to-greatest saleman in the world, Hafid, part II of his journey is filled with life timeless lessons that can help you get to where you want to go in life. A short, fun, valuable and entertaining read. ... Get this book here: The Greatest Salesman i...

Inspired by a recent school assembly, today's episode provides updates, philosophies and strategies to The Spaniard's post-fighting business career. Whether you're a longtime listener or new to the show, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at running a business that is fueled by a desire to help others keep moving forward in life. ... To inquire about assemblies and speaking: Speaking Form Learn m...

Another great financial book, The Psychology of Money focuses on our behaviors around money and what drives us to those behaviors. While hard financial skills can be important, author Morgan Housel stresses that mastering these soft skills of behavior can lead to financial success. I absolutely recommend this book if you're looking to improve your financial well-being. ... To support The Spaniard...